This invention relates generally to drywall suspension systems and more particularly to a novel and improved system for creating domed ceilings using suspension members that include primary and secondary curved spoke members interconnected by using a central hub and intercostal members so that a domed shaped ceiling can be created.
Domed ceilings are common architectural elements. Small domes are available in prefabricated forms. Prefabricated domes such as those produced from glass-reinforced gypsum are relatively easy to erect but are fragile, heavy and difficult to handle. Further, such domes are available only in incremental sizes and generally are less than ten feet in diameter.
Larger domes are usually built using conventional ceiling materials. Constructing a dome with these materials is much more labor intensive than constructing a flat ceiling because they pose special challenges to the installer. Most of these challenges deal with the planning, constructing and gauging of an accurate support system to which finishes may be attached. Often, these support systems are constructed without pre-engineered components in an ad hoc fashion such as crude assemblies of wood or roughly bent metal parts. Metal suspension tees have also been modified to form dome suspension frames. The tees are modified to form rough curves by cutting slits incrementally along the length of the tee, hand bending the tee against a template, and applying mending plates across the slots. The modified tees are attached to a center point and suspended in a radial pattern. The position of the radial tees is indexed by inserting short straight sections of tees.
The fabrication and assembly processes of on-site fabricated ceilings are labor intensive. Further, the process results in a surface composed of many discontinuous straight segments and a central region that is overcrowded with tees and hanger wires. Such a crowded number of tees and hanger wires interconnected in a small area presents installation problems and is generally considered an inefficient use of materials. Once the support system is fabricated and assembled, domed ceilings are typically finished using a lath and plaster system or drywall with joint treatment. The amount of labor and material required to form smoothly curved surfaces of these types is greatly affected by the accuracy of the underlying curved support system. If the support system is not accurately curved, large amounts of plaster or joint compound must be applied and sanded to achieve the desired smoothness. Prior art systems do not provide for an accurately curved domed support system that provides for easy on-site assembly and installation.
This invention may be described as a novel and improved scalable suspension system for domed shaped ceilings that includes a framework of suspension members interconnected to a central hub. The framework of suspension members are used to support a domed shaped ceiling fabricated from plaster or gypsum wallboard. The framework is scalable in that it can be dimensioned to accommodate domes of various diameters. All of the suspension members are curved to the same radius and when assembled, trace the surface of a sphere with the same radius. If the suspension system is not a perfect hemispherical dome, the suspension members may have different radii of curvature. The suspension members include primary spoke members, secondary spoke members, intercostal members and cross tees. The primary spoke members are attached to the central hub component. The intercostal members are spanned between the primary spoke members. The secondary spoke members are connected to the intercostal members, which extend between the primary spoke members. The primary and secondary spoke members are interconnected by the cross tee""s to create a unified structure. The hub includes radially indexed integral tabs that facilitate the attachment of the hanger wires and allows for the rigid attachment of the primary spoke members in a precise radial pattern.
These and other aspects of this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and are more fully described in the following specification